Trevor Noah’s master class: It’s not just Fox News — this is the topic that needs Noah, Oliver, Stewart

For some time now our nation has counted on satirical comedians like Jon Stewart to entertainingly inform us of major issues we would otherwise ignore. In an era when mainstream news media constantly fails in its watchdog role and when most politics seems like a circus, satire has played a major role in providing the public with much-needed information in a format that is fun and engaging. When CNN asks whether Ebola is “the ISIS of biological agents,” we have the perfect proof that mainstream news is more about hype, fear, and spectacle than about information.

There is no story on the horizon that needs a satire intervention more than the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal, which removes trade barriers between twelve nations. The deal has been negotiated in secret, but that’s not even the worst of it. The TPP has been touted as a way to save U.S. jobs, strengthen US trade, and help “contain” China. But critics are clear –and newly revealed Wikileaks documents confirm –that this deal is all about protecting corporate interests at the expense of both citizen and state rights.

“Redacted Tonight” is RT’s first comedy show and it focuses on stories that have been missed in the mainstream media. Taped in Washington, D.C., or “the belly of the beast” as Camp calls it, “Redacted Tonight” has offered the U.S.-based, D.C.-native comedian a welcome platform for his political humor. Whatever you might think about the backroom politics that could explain Russia’s interest in supporting a satirical show that exposes the ties behind U.S. politics and corporate power, one thing is clear: Camp’s comedy offers an edge not seen on most U.S. satire TV.